NFL reporter Crissy Froyd has expressed outrage over comments made by Dianna Russini ahead of her return to NFL reporting, calling them "disgusting." Russini, who resigned from The Athletic in April after photos surfaced of her and New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel at a resort, is launching a new weekly show titled "The Russini Report" with gambling site BetUS.
In an interview with People, Russini spoke about her experience following the scandal, stating, "I really hope that I can be someone other women see: you can pick yourself up, get back in there and not be afraid." This sentiment drew a harsh response from Froyd, who was fired from her USA Today job shortly after criticizing Russini's departure from The Athletic.
Froyd responded to Russini's comments on X, writing, "A hero and inspiration for women in sports? Gross thing to say when you’re the opposite. Lie to yourself and everyone else harder @DMRussini. You disgust me." Froyd maintained that she has "regret zero of what I said and stand beside it."
USA Today confirmed Froyd's termination was effective immediately, citing comments that "do not reflect our commitment to professionalism or uphold our principles of ethical conduct."
Former ESPN SportsCenter host Linda Cohn commented on Russini's return, suggesting that she needs to address the scandal directly to maintain credibility with her audience. Cohn believes that discussing the "human side" and admitting fault could make Russini more relatable, rather than avoiding the topic.
Russini's initial departure from The Athletic followed an investigation that found her to be "noncompliant" with the outlet's standards.